Description
The Spanish Love Deception. Catalina Martín, an aspiring assistant, is scared of the one question she knows she’ll be asked in every family photo at her younger sister’s wedding in Galicia: “And where is your boyfriend?” She is determined to keep her reputation as both prosperous and settled, so she looks for a last-minute fix. Meet Aaron Blackford, her annoyingly good-looking yet annoyingly strict coworker. The only thing they have in common is that they don’t like each other. She thinks he is too formal, and he thinks she is too impetuous. But when Catalina barges into Aaron’s office with a bribe and a blackmail-style offer to appear to be a couple for one weekend Aaron grudgingly agrees because he wants to get a promotion that depends on how well he handles his “public life.”
What comes next is a well-planned charade that tastes great. Catalina teaches Aaron how to dance under the dazzling lights of the vineyard. Aaron teaches Catalina how to talk to her inquisitive aunts. The two of them have awkward but sweet moments at local markets, where they taste empanadas and drink Albariño wine. Every manufactured kiss in front of family sends electrifying shocks through both of them, making them doubt the lines they’ve put around their professional lives.
As the wedding weekend goes on, parts of both of their lives start to come off. Catalina talks about how scared she is that she’ll never be good enough. She’s always been the hard-working daughter who puts her own happiness on hold to help her family’s new restaurant in New York. The pressures of being a corporate lawyer have made Aaron lonely and guarded. He talks about how his diplomat father moved around a lot when he was a kid. When they disclose their secrets late at night on a patio by the sea, laughter turns into something more vulnerable: real concern.
But every real relationship is clouded by the ticking clock of their deal. The wedding of Catalina’s sister is over, the festival lights in town go off, and the truth about their deal threatens to break the bond they have established. Aaron is about to go back to his high-powered position in Manhattan, and Catalina is about to go back to her boring but predictable routine. When a jealous ex-colleague’s tweet leads to a startling misunderstanding that turns their weekend in Spain into an office scandal, both of them have to decide if their chemistry was real or just a performance.
In a heart-pounding ending under the cobblestone arches of Santiago de Compostela, Aaron surprises Catalina with a big gesture that isn’t planned: he asks her to make their “temporary deception” permanent, on their own terms. They embrace the delicious uncertainty of giving in to love as church bells ring and fireworks light up the night sky. This shows that the best things in life are sometimes the ones we never saw coming.
About the Author
The Spanish Love Deception crackles with Elena Armas’s signature blend of sharp humor, irresistible banter, and deeply felt emotion. It’s a story about stepping out of your comfort zone, trusting someone else with your heart, and discovering that the greatest deceptions can lead to the truest love.
Product Details
- Title: The Spanish Love Deception
- Author: Elena Armas
- ISBN-13: 9781668002520
- Publisher: Berkley
- Published: January 11, 2022
- Pages: 384
- Binding: Paperpack
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.